Smith & Wesson’s Military & Police 9mm has been a credible alternative to the Glock and HK pistols for some time. With superior ergonomics to many pistols the S&W has many fans. The 2.0 improvements include a better grip and especially an improved trigger action. When S&W introduced a metal frame variant of the polymer frame striker fired handgun many shooters took notice. The pistol features a T6-aluminum frame. The SW metal frame gun is identical in outline to the polymer frame pistol with a 4.25 inch barrel and standard slide and sights. The pistol is supplied with two 17-round magazines and comes with a slide cut for mounting red dot sights. The finish is a Tungsten-Gray Cerakote. Even with 2.0 improvements you do not need to update your holsters or magazines the new frame is compatible with previous M & P 9mm handguns. Here are a few numbers and specifications from Smith & Wesson.
Features
• Tungsten Gray Cerakote finish
• Slide cut for optics.
• Four interchangeable palmswell grip inserts for optimal hand fit and trigger reach: S, M, ML, L
• Textured polymer front strap.
• Wide slide stop
• Reversible magazine release.
• M2.0 flat-face trigger for consistent finger placement that allows for more accurate and repeatable shooting.
• Includes forward slide serrations and accessory rail.
• Low barrel bore axis makes the M&P pistol comfortable to shoot, reducing muzzle rise and allowing for faster aim recovery.
• Enhanced sear for lighter, crisper trigger let-off.
• Accurate 1:10-inch twist barrel.
• Comes with two 17-round magazines.
• Accepts any 17-round 9mm M2.0 magazine.
• Fits standard M&P9-compatible holsters
On the scale the metal frame gun weighs thirty ounces about five ounces more than the polymer frame version. The pistol’s balance is different, the heft and general feel seem improved. The shooter decides if the balance and weight are worth the extra cost of the Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 Metal. The upcharge seems running steady at about two hundred dollars over the polymer frame handgun.
As for the pistols merits it handles well and has good features. Field strip is easy enough and the pistols controls are crisp in operation. The manual of arms is simple. Load, holster, draw, fire. There isn’t anything in my evaluation- about three hundred cartridge total, firing among myself and two friends- that will build up or tear down Smith & Wesson’s reputation. The Smith & Wesson M&P Metal never failed to feed chamber fire or eject. In initial firing the trigger broke at a clean 6.0 pounds on the Lyman trigger weight electronic gauge. After the evaluation and cleaning the grease from the pistol the action was 5.8 pounds. While the pistol has a different heft it operates in much the same manner as the polymer frame version- to a point. The magazines accepted a full 17 rounds of 9mm ammunition without difficulty. After firing the pistol and passing it around to interested shooters here is the verdict. Most polymer frame handguns are slide heavy due to the lighter frame. We automatically adjust for this with shooting experience. The M&P Metal frame gun isn’t slide heavy but has a neutral feel. Weight is balanced out. As a result of muscle memory two of three shooters were firing high with the metal frame pistol versus polymer frame handguns. On the other hand recoil was noticeably lighter. A polymer frame 9mm isn’t a hard kicker but the metal frame moved the Smith & Wesson 9mm into SIG P226 category or perhaps Beretta 92, noticeably lighter. No surprise a heavy pistol kicks less. The pistol definitely kicks less. After some evaluation and acclimation you may find the natural line of sight superior with the improved balance of the metal frame handgun. This pistol deserves a deeper dive into the attributes it possesses and that will be done with a shooter interested in adopting the piece for personal defense. If you are a Smith & Wesson Military & Police fan you will not be disappointed. If you are looking for a metal frame handgun with the advantages of a striker fired handgun then this is a good piece to consider. As for absolute accurate I fired several groups from a properly braced position at 15 yards. It isn’t difficult to place five rounds of Black Hills ammunition 115 grain FMJ into two inches at 45 feet. The pistol should serve well.
